About the Workforce Intelligence Lab (WIL)

WIL is building partnerships with water and wastewater utilities, registered apprenticeship sponsors, and training providers to expand career pathways into water-sector trades. This is a collaboration and affiliate track. Engagement is scoped by project. Full-time employment or a project-based contract may be used when a joint award calls for it.

Learn more: https://wilinstitute.org

We engage experienced practitioners for both full-time employment and project-based contract roles, as applicable to the award and staffing model. Engagements are remote-first with travel as required for partner and field sites. We build ready teams for live grant and sponsored-research pursuits.

This opportunity is contingent upon grant or sponsored-project award and final staffing approval. Permission will be requested before including a candidate's name or resume in a proposal or funding package.

WIL is seeking organization leads and practitioners who can co-design and host internship, apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, or postsecondary bridge pathways with measurable placement outcomes.

What you'll do

• Represent a utility, apprenticeship sponsor, labor partner, or training provider willing to co-deliver water-trades pathways
• Help define trainee cohorts, supervisors or mentors, and job-placement pathways into water and wastewater roles
• Share non-proprietary program design inputs: hours, credentials, safety and onboarding, and success metrics
• Coordinate letters of support or MOU language for joint workforce proposals when mutually agreed
• Optionally advise WIL on evaluation metrics for completion, placement, and retention

Required

• Current role at a drinking water or wastewater utility, registered apprenticeship sponsor, labor organization, community college or technical school, or nonprofit training organization serving the water sector
• Authority, or a clear path to authority, to discuss partnership or host-site arrangements
• Experience running or supporting internships, apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, or bridge programs
• Willingness to be considered for time-bounded collaboration (affiliate, consulting, or institutional partnership)
• Authorization to work with a U.S. research organization
• Open to full-time employment or project-based contract engagement; remote-first with travel as partner and field work requires

Nice to have

• Registered apprenticeship standards already in place for water or wastewater occupations
• Track record of measurable trainee placements into utility jobs
• Experience with federal or state workforce grants as a partner
• A geographic focus you can host and an approximate annual trainee capacity